My traumatic journey with GoAir.

Little did I realize that I shall embark upon the most hazardously memorable journey of my life, along with my husband and child, when I picked up my mobile phone on 7th March, 2022 to book tickets for Bangalore for my journey scheduled on 21st April 2022.

1. I booked the aforementioned return tickets for direct flights from Chandigarh to Bangalore (Rs. 30000) that were unilaterally cancelled by GoAir on 14th April 2022. I was given an option to re-book with the available flights. No direct flight was available. All flights had layovers of 5-10 hours. Since I was travelling with my 2 year old son, I asked them for any direct option but none was available. I requested them to give us flight from Delhi but that demand seemed unjustified to them. I requested them time and again since we were travelling with a kid (who was travelling for the first time) that such long layovers would be very-very inconvenient.
   1. We, helplessly, cancelled the Chandigarh to Bangalore direct ticket and booked with Indigo at more than double price of Rs. 33,000, one way. The return that we chose with GoAir was the one with the least layover in Mumbai for four hours.
   2. We requested GoAir for the lounge for the 4-hour long layover that was thrust upon us but were told that as we held “cheap” tickets, we were not entitled to this facility. Even upon payment, we, the cattle-class, were not allowed in the privileged area. The Raj, anyone?
   3. We were, however, very magnanimously, offered complimentary in-flight meals.
   4. In-flight, however, we were informed bluntly and embarrassingly told, “aisi koi suvidha nahi hai, sab paid hai”. And, we did not purchase there, in stead deciding to boycott it, hoping that we would rather give our money to someone else at the food court other than these people.

2. We reached Mumbai airport at 12 in the midnight.
   1. Good morning! The Mumbai Airport food court was closed at 12 AM!
   2. Lounges were already full.
   3. We were at the airport at 12 in the midnight with no food court open and our 2 year old son tired and wailing!
   4. Somehow we managed to get a sandwich that tasted stale, so no use. (Was that the Hepatitis carrier?)

3. “You Come First”, THEY SAY! Where were we?

4. It all boils down to the ham-handed cancellation, the refusal for direct tickets, no lounge or any facility for lay over that was forced on us, in-flight embarrassment and then, the mental trauma that, more than us, our 2 year old child had to go through at the airport.

• 4.1 The original tickets were direct and these were with a layover of 4 hours in the middle of the night.
• 4.2 In the nick of time, we had to buy tickets at double the price we had booked. What was to cost us 30,000 ended up being 48,000. Where was our fault?
• 4.3 On return, my son had lingering effects for 4 days; trouble urinating, a messed up sleep cycle and more.

I ask, what is the point of making a pretty detailed program for travelling, booking tickets, well in advance, catering to our needs, requirements and convenience when these are liable to be unilaterally cancelled and, that too, without any consequence to the airlines! Yes, everyone, especially airlines and tourism industries are stressed due to the still-lingering effects of Covid lock-downs but is that a licence to abuse their position of authority over our immediate destinies?